New prostitution laws to be set out today will mean a plea of ignorance is no defence for men facing prosecution for buying sex from a woman who has been trafficked or is being exploited by a pimp.
Under proposals to be published today by the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, a man who pays for sex with a woman who has been trafficked or is under the control of a pimp could face a charge of rape, which carries a potential life sentence.
A couple of quick thoughts: (1) It’s interesting that ignorance is no defense, since I’m not sure that’s the case with standard UK rape law. (Anyone out there know? I haven’t got time to check.) (2) One wonders how much effect this will have, given rape conviction rates in the UK (5.7%, last I checked).
Thanks, Edna!
Feminist Philosophers 
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3) One might also ask why the government has decided to individualize sexual slavery instead of addressing the systematic exploitation of sex workers. If the lawmakers really believe johns might be ignorant about the conditions of any particular prostitute, then the law aims at criminalizing individuals unable to alter the circumstances that make rape possible, insofar as it’s defined by the law. Could this be an attempt to discourage “immoral” sexual exchange without tackling the larger, intersecting issues of rape and human trafficking?
[…] @ 2:56 pm I’m a bit late with this, but better late than never… Back in November, we reported on the Policing and Crime Bill, which has clauses that provide for someone to be prosecuted for […]
Careful what you’re spreading, you might have caught it from the Home Office, eg rape conviction rates or attrition rates?
http://straightstatistics.org/article/how-panic-over-rape-was-orchestrated